True to its promise to build an annual platform for grassroots artists, this autumn’s Beyond the Moor festival is on course to form an annual landmark in the UK folk calendar
With high hopes this year’s event will be the most successful yet, Gosforth Civic Theatre is confident that Beyond the Moor 2024 will prove to be a launchpad for emerging talent from across the region and beyond.
Playing alongside headliners O’Hooley and Tidow, who were propelled to folk stardom after penning the theme tune to TV’s Gentleman Jack, and Leveret, a collaboration between three of England’s finest folk performers, will be the class of 2024 from Newcastle University’s folk and traditional music degree, who will open the event on October 12th.
Leveret, made up of Andy Cutting on button accordion, Sam Sweeney on fiddle and Rob Harbron on concertina, are a fantastic example of the calibre of established local and national musicians who will treat audiences and fellow performers alike to work from an expanse of genres from within folk and roots traditions.
Each regarded as a master of his respective instrument, together the trio provides a captivating experience for music fans, as with unconventional arrangements and an impressive reliance on mutual trust, no two shows are ever the same.
Sharing the stage with these big names and led by their tutor Cariona Macdonald, Newcastle’s next generation of musical ingénues will highlight traditional tunes that demonstrate their talents as graduates of the first degree of its kind in England, before making way for seasoned performers including Jez Lowe, a North East native singer-songwriter with more than 20 albums of original work under his belt.
Also on the bill will be the Ouseburn Folk Choir, which calls Ouseburn Valley bar The Cumberland Arms its home and is led by Janice Burns. Its song choices influenced by the seasons, environment, and the history of industry in our region, you can expect folk club classics with rousing choruses alongside moments of tender reflection.
Deeply personal and emotive songs that explore stories of love and loss, queer narratives, and tales of industry, nature, and social injustice are the mark of Sam Baxter, an interpreter, arranger and performer with roots firmly in the traditional, but whose work speaks to modern audiences. Skilfully blending electric and acoustic guitars with drones and the fiddle, his repertoire is filled with warmth and expresses the full gamut of human experience.
Completing the line-up will be northern-based French trio Cri du Canard, known for their passion and panache, and Me Lost Me, whose beguiling mix of soaring vocals and atmospheric electronics push the boundaries of genre.
Kari Macleod and Bernard Wright co-produce Beyond the Moor on behalf of Gosforth Civic Theatre, a social enterprise whose profits provide creative and practical training and work opportunities for young people with and without learning disabilities and autism. They said: “Beyond the Moor debuted just two years ago, harnessing the strength and vibrancy of the folk scene in our region and combining it with the local opportunity to see genuinely world class touring acts.
“Over recent years we’ve seen a real thirst for more regional platforms for folk and roots music, with Gosforth Civic Theatre’s folk club gigs growing in popularity. Bringing all of this under one roof in a huge annual celebration of all forms of folk and roots is something we hope will inspire audiences, which we have no doubt will include the next generations of talent to take to the stage.”
Concessionary tickets for students and under 18s are just £20 for the one-day event, which is fully accessible, with the first performances beginning at 3pm. Full price tickets are £35 and a wide range of food and drink will be available throughout. Doors will open at 2.30pm. To find out more and book, visit gosforthcivictheatre.co.uk/beyond-the-moor-2024.